Holi 2027: Date, Holika Dahan Muhurat, the March 22 vs 23 Question, and Safe Colours

Why are there two dates?

Holika Dahan is performed on the evening of Phalguna Purnima, the full moon, and Holi colours are played the next morning. In 2027, the Purnima tithi begins at about 6:21 pm on March 21.

Calendars apply slightly different rules about when the full moon must prevail in the evening, and about Bhadra, a period considered inauspicious for the bonfire. Drik Panchang and most north Indian panchangs place the bonfire on the evening of March 21 and colours on March 22. Others, using their own calculations, move both a day later.

What to do: follow your family priest, local temple or community. If you work in a central government office, your official holiday is Tuesday, March 23, with Holika Dahan on March 22 listed as an optional holiday. Check your employer's calendar for long-weekend planning.

Holika Dahan muhurat

Drik Panchang's timings for March 21, 2027, vary by place. For example, for Nagaur in Rajasthan it gives 6:47 pm to 9:09 pm. A Delhi-based listing gives about 6:33 pm to 8:55 pm for New Delhi and most of north India. Calendars that place the bonfire on March 22 give a similar evening window on that day.

The story of Holika and Prahlad

The bonfire recalls the legend of Prahlad, a young devotee of Vishnu, and his father Hiranyakashipu, a demon king who demanded to be worshipped as a god. When Prahlad refused, the king's sister Holika, who was believed to be immune to fire, sat with the boy in a burning pyre. Holika was consumed by the flames, and Prahlad walked out unharmed. The bonfire celebrates the victory of devotion and good over arrogance and evil.

The colours of the next day are linked to Krishna and Radha. According to legend, Krishna, worried about his dark skin, playfully coloured Radha's face, starting the tradition of playing with colours.

How to perform Holika Dahan

1. A pyre of wood and cow-dung cakes is built in a public square or courtyard, often days in advance.
2. In the evening, families gather and perform a short puja with water, roli, rice, flowers, raw cotton thread, turmeric, coconut and new grains of wheat and gram.
3. The pyre is lit at the muhurat, and people walk around it, often tying cotton thread around it.
4. Many roast new grain in the fire and take the ash home as a blessing.

Holi in Braj: Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana

Holi in Braj, the land of Krishna, is not a day but a season of about a week or more. Highlights usually include:

• Lathmar Holi in Barsana and Nandgaon, where women playfully "beat" men with sticks.
• Phoolon wali Holi at Vrindavan's Banke Bihari temple, played with flower petals.
• Widows' Holi in Vrindavan, a celebration that has grown in recent years.
• Celebrations at the Dwarkadhish temple in Mathura on Holi day.

Exact dates for these events are announced closer to the season; book accommodation early, as crowds are enormous.

How to play Holi safely

• Use natural or herbal colours, or make your own from turmeric, beetroot, henna and flower petals. Many cheap colours contain industrial dyes and metals that irritate skin and eyes.
• Oil your skin and hair before playing, so colours wash off more easily.
• Protect your eyes: wear sunglasses, and if colour gets in, rinse with plenty of clean water; see a doctor if irritation persists.
• No forced colours: respect people who do not want to play.
• Go easy on bhang, and never drink and drive.
• Save water: dry Holi with gulal uses far less water.
• Look after pets, which can be harmed by colours and noise.

Common questions

Is Holi a national holiday? It is a gazetted central government holiday and a holiday in most states. In 2027, the central list marks it on March 23.

Why do some people celebrate on different days? Because calendars differ on whether the full moon prevails on the evening of March 21 or 22. Both traditions are followed in good faith.

What is Dhulandi? Another name for Rangwali Holi, the day of colours, used especially in north India.

Related reading

• Indian Festivals Calendar 2026-27, Month by Month
• Long Weekends 2027 in India: Every Holiday Break
• Makar Sankranti, Pongal and Lohri 2027